Keep The Faith
by IthilielCuivienien
Summary: Set after book 6: Ciara Wallace believes in Severus Snape's innocence. Disclaimer: All the HP stuff belongs to J.K.Rowling.
1. Prologue

**Keep The Faith**

**1. Prologue**

When I read it in the Daily Prophet, I refused to believe it. It just couldn't be true. Couldn't be what it seemed to be. There had to be some mistake. He would never have done this, never have betrayed Dumbledore's trust like this. Never have betrayed the Order like this.

I threw the paper across the room and cast a quick _Incendio!_,watching with grim amusement as this insulting piece of writing dissolved into ashes, that a small flick of my wand sent into the cold fire place. It was not enough. Abruptly standing up, I went to the wall and pounded my fist on the unyielding bricks.

'Dammit! I won't believe this! I won't!' I thought angrily before sliding down to the ground and resting my head on my knees.

I don't know, how long I sat like this, trying to calm down, but when I stood up again, I knew I had decided. I would not make a judgement based on what was probably less that half the facts. Everyone deserved the benefit of doubt, everyone deserved a bit of faith. Especially Severus Snape.

I took my long black cloak and started out the door with an almost undistinguishable whisper:

"Keep the faith."

_And it's hard to hold on __  
__When there's no one to lean on___

_Faith: you know you're gonna live through the rain__  
__Lord you got to keep the faith__  
__Faith: don't let your love turn to hate__  
__Right now we got to __  
__Keep the faith__  
__Keep the faith __  
__Keep the faith __  
__Lord we got to keep the faith__  
_


	2. Searching

**2. Searching**

My name is Ciara Wallace and I am a witch. I graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry two years ago and am now a member of the Order of the Phoenix. And I was currently standing outside the grounds of the aforementioned school in the middle of the night in the pouring rain. My dark clothing blended in perfectly with the surrounding bushes and trees, which was just as well since I didn't want to have to explain my presence to anyone.

I looked up to the tower where Dumbledore had been killed and then let my gaze drift over the grounds. So this was where it all happened. I could detect the least bit indication that Severus had been here last night, but I could not find any hint as to where he might have gone to. I sighed. So it would have to be the hard way.

I had now been walking through the cold and wet wilderness for the whole night, and yet I had found out nothing.

At midday I called it a quit and apparated back to my room. I drew out a map of the British Isles and an ancient crystal pendulum.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I muttered to myself as I began to prepare everything I needed for this special magic I was about to perform. I didn't even know if it would work. I read about this charm in an old and tattered book that belonged to my grandmother, on my mother's side, that is, for my father was a Muggle. But back to the task at hand.

It was an ancient, complicated spell. It was supposed to show you the whereabouts of the person you where looking for. Of course you needed three hairs of the person you were searching, in addition to your own blood and tears. And it was not very specific and not very likely to work. But it was all I could think of. At least it would be worth a try.

Now I had everything arranged. After starting the magical fire, I dropped the plants and other things into the flames, and then I added three hairs of Severus (I had picked them off my clothes three years ago, after the Yule ball when I had danced with Severus. I didn't know why I had kept them, but now they really came in handy.).

Hopefully it would be enough. While speaking the required Celtic words I added three drops of my blood and three tears of mine to the small pyre. They hissed softly as they dropped into the bowl containing the fire. If I had done everything right, then the flames should turn liquid any moment now. There! It worked! The bowl now contained a thick, blazing red liquid. Into that I placed the crystal pendulum for thirteen minutes, chanting an ancient verse. Then I drew it out and suspended the pendulum over the map (I had a globe next to it, just in case).

"_Taisbeánaimis mi Severus Snape!"_ I commanded.

Nothing happened. Then, just as I was about to give up, the crystal slowly started to move. After some indecision it circled the area of the West Highlands between Crianlarich and Glen Nevis.

"Yes!"

It was a large area, but now I at least had a starting point.

I sighed and spelled my clothes dry after I had slipped in the mud for the umpteenth time. It simply was no use searching any further tonight. I hadn't slept for nearly three days and nights and I needed a rest. Badly.

I gathered my last strength and apparated back to my room where I lay down to sleep. After a refreshening slumber I woke and ate four bowls of hot strew. Now I felt up to chasing shadows again. I knew it was probably useless, but I had to try nevertheless. So I apparated back to the place where I had stopped searching. The sun was already disappearing behind the mountains.

This soon became my new routine. Searching for as long as I was able, sleeping a day or so and then searching again. A routine I only broke with for Dumbledore's funeral.

I was wearing black as usual as I sat at the back. I didn't want to draw any attention. The other members of the Order, who were present, only nodded at me, sensing that I wanted to be left alone. They probably assumed that I was working on some task Dumbledore had given me before his death, since I had contacted them only briefly, to tell them I was all right, after the incident. That was fine by me. I didn't want them prying or following me.

And back to my routine. I refused to give up and searched day and night. Sometime, somewhere I would be lucky. I knew I was good enough to detect Severus, even if he hid behind wards. But I was not good enough to break them and I knew it. He would have to let me in and I was confident that he would.


	3. Finding

**3. Finding**

Three weeks after I had started searching for Severus, I found him. He was in a small, unplottable cabin in a hidden glen, deep in the mountainous Highlands. I approached the door and felt a tingling sensation. His wards. I stopped a yard before the door and without hesitation I drew out my wand, held it out, flat on my hand and addressed the door.

"Severus. I know you're in there. I mean you no harm. I only want to talk to you."

Nothing. Yet I was sure he had heard me. Then, quietly, came the answer.

"Why should I trust you?"

"I came alone. I'm offering you my wand as a sign of truce."

No answer came, but the door slowly opened and my wand flew from my hand into the hut. I didn't move for a moment and then I slowly went inside. The single room was sparely furnished. A bed, a chair, a table. Severus, who looked the worse for wear, leant against the opposite wall. As soon as I was inside, the door closed behind me. I said nothing, only looking at the man before me.

None of us said anything for some time, then Severus suddenly broke the silence.

"Why have you come?"

He didn't even ask how I found him, only why I came. The problem was, that I didn't really know, myself.

"I want to talk to you."

"And for that you come here, exhausted and mud stained? It must have been difficult finding me," he drawled.

"Well, aye, it was. But I really want to talk to you."

"Talk to me? Aren't you afraid of me? After all, I killed Albus. What makes you think I won't kill you as well?" While talking, his voice had become sinister.

I held his gaze.

"I'm not afraid of you, if at all, I'm afraid for you."

He clearly hadn't expected this. There was a strange flicker in his dark eyes, but he didn't respond.

"I just can't believe the things that stand in the Daily Prophet," I continued, which earned me a look that said 'Oh really? That's a big surprise.'

"I know what Harry said, but some things just don't make sense. Please, won't you tell me your side of the story?"

Severus didn't say anything for some time, but I felt a light brushing sensation in my head: Legilimency. To prove my trust, I did something he hadn't expected: I let my guards down. His eyes widened in surprise for a moment but then his face was an unreadable mask again and he suddenly threw my wand back at me. I caught it just before it hit the ground.

"Go. You shouldn't be here. If the aurors find you here… they're accustomed to act first and ask questions later. Believe me, I know."

I crossed my arms and stared at him challengingly while I was smiling inside: He had given me back my wand, which meant that he trusted me, at least a bit.

"I won't go. I'm not afraid and I don't think the aurors will find this place."

"Oh, indeed? And what's to stop them from using the same tools as you did?" he asked sarcastically.

"Mmm, I don't know. Maybe the fact that they don't have three hairs from you?" I answered in the same tone. "Or that they have no idea at all of the magic I used?"

He just stared at me for a moment.

"Hairs?"

"Oh, well… you remember the Yule Ball in 1994? You danced with me… and well, later I found some hairs from you on my robes… and… I didn't really know why I kept them… but… they came in handy, now." I knew it all sounded a bit lame, but it was the truth.

Severus said nothing, he only lifted an eyebrow.

"And as to the magic… it was ancient Celtic magic, blood magic. I read about it in a very old book, that belonged to ma grandmother."

"Blood magic? You used blood magic?" He asked disbelievingly.

"Well, aye, I did. But I only used my blood."

He just stared at me for some time and then shook his head.

"You never fail to surprise me."

I grinned.

"Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint you, now would I?"

Severus snorted.

"So, are you going to tell me your side of the story now?" I asked.

"No."

"Please?" I begged him.

A pained look passed over his face and he slid down the wall, sitting down on the dirt floor.

"Severus?" I asked, slightly alarmed.

He shook his head. I didn't know what to do. Slowly I walked over to him, knelt down beside him and laid a hand upon his shoulder.

"Won't you talk to me, Severus?" I said softly.

Nothing happened. Then he slowly lifted his head and nodded.

I searched his face for some clue, but I had gone back to being an unreadable mask once more. I had to resort to other methods then.

"You look starved," I said suddenly and stood up.

With a quick wave of my wand, I summoned a cauldron of stew, two plates, a full teakettle and two mugs from my apartment. Another wave and the stew and tea were hot. Now I transfigured the single chair into two and sat down on one of them.

"Why don't you sit down and eat something?" I asked him.

He just stared at me for a moment, as if I had suddenly sprouted wings, but then he did indeed sit down and eat. I had been right – he was starved.

After we had eaten, no one said anything for some time. Then I remembered something: the book. I reached into my robes and drew an ancient looking folio from them. It was really thick and bound in black leather. On the front there were silvery gothic letters that spelled: The Delicate Arte of Brewing by Belladonna Kaultron.

"I 'nicked' this from your office before the aurors got there. I thought you might like to have it back," I said quietly.

For a moment he didn't move and just stared at the book in my hand. Then a small smile flickered over his face and he leaned forward to take it.

"Thank you."


	4. Answers

**4. Answers**

After Severus had eaten, he just stared into the distance for a time. Then he started talking in a quiet and flat voice:

"I all began with Voldemort ordering Draco Malfoy to kill Dumbledore. As it was unlikely that he would succeed, Narcissa came to me for help, dragging her damned sister behind. Perhaps I could have found a way to avoid it, but I still don't see how. I swore an Unbreakable Vow to Narcissa.

I swore that I would watch over Draco as he attempts to fulfil the Dark Lord's wishes, that I would protect him from harm, to the best of my abilities, and, should it prove necessary, I would carry out the deed that the Dark Lord had ordered Draco to perform.

Of course I told Dumbledore everything, as soon I got the chance. I was well prepared to break the Vow, but he would have none of it.

After he had destroyed the first horcrux, he was severely injured and returned just in time for me to help him. I couldn't heal him, but I could stop the curse from spreading, though we both knew it wouldn't last forever.

Then Albus came up with the idea of making me Defence teacher, as it was already very likely that I wouldn't be able to continue teaching for much longer. And after the disaster with Umbridge… he wanted a skilled Defence teacher for a change and not many were interested in the job since word had gotten around, that the position was cursed.

All year I tried to speak with Draco, to tell him that I was able to help him and maybe even convince him to turn his back on Voldemort… but he didn't confide in me, perhaps even didn't trust me.

As the school year went on, I tried to persuade Albus several times. To persuade him to let me break my Vow instead of fulfilling it. But he had made me promise that I would do as he asked… and he knew that I would be true to my word. He at least trusted me."

I could detect a hint of bitterness in his voice, which didn't surprise me. I knew that many people of the order hadn't trusted him, especially Moody.

"On the said day, on top of the Astronomy Tower, I looked him into his eyes before making a decision. He wasn't occluding at all, and it was easy for me to enter his mind. And what I saw there… He had drunk a potion, a poison more exactly, it would surely kill him within the next few days and he was quite weak and had already lost his wand. If the four Death Eaters were to attack him, he would most probably loose. And I would be unable to help him, for if I broke my Vow, I would die instantly. So he would have died, no matter what I did. But he was pleading to me; he was begging me to kill him, to save my life, so that the Order would still have its spy. He told me some weeks ago, that my work as a spy was most important for the war, even more important than his life. I didn't want to do it, but he was right, it would have been stupid to sacrifice one of our few advantages in this war. So I killed him. I killed him, knowing that I would have to run and hide, that I would loose everything, quite likely even my life."

For a long time he didn't say anything and neither did I. We both just sat there.

"But I don't regret it," he finished. "I would do anything to see Voldemort brought down."


	5. Epilogue

**5. Epilogue**

I left Severus the next day, with the promise to return.

I would help him to continue his work for the Order, I would act as his contact.

Now I would go home and sleep and eat, and then I would visit Minerva McGonagall, to talk to her about everything. If there was anyone who would listen to me, who would even believe me, it would be her. Together we would find a way to help Severus.

I wouldn't let anything happen to him, I just wouldn't. As I lay down to get some rest I swore to myself that I would do everything in my power to help him.

_In the velvet darkness_

_Of the blackest night_

_Burning bright_

_There's a guiding star_

_No matter what or who you are_

_There's a light_

_In the darkness of everybody's life._


End file.
